The origin of Universitat station goes back to the beginning of 1923 with the opening of the construction shaft located in plaça de la Universitat itself. This shaft became the only entrance the station had in 1926.

Universitat station opened on 10 June 1926, like the rest of the first section of the line. The station had two platforms, each 88 metres long, and three tracks, two of them for regular services and the third to park trains. The nave had distinctive layout, while one third of the station had a single span with capcity for the two platforms and the three tracks. The other two thirds were two parallel spans with capacity for one platform and one track. This layout was dictated by the presence, above the station, of the considerable weight of Doctor Robert monument.

The station maintained this layout until 1972, when it underwent a complete renovation due to the construction of theRenfe (National Railways) rail link between Catalunya station and Sants station. This new link forced Universitat station to demolish one of the single-span naves and build a new on a higher level just to leave sufficient room for the new tunnel. Also, all entrances and concourse areas where eliminated and replaced by the current ones.